Rail support



Dec. m, 1935. w. T. ONElLL RAIL SUPPORT Filed JulyZ, 1954 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Zinfientor W/ll IA M 7. OWE/AZ attorneys RAIL SUPPORT Filed July 2, 1934 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 V Snnentor w/z 1 /A N 7"- 0mm;

'MMW

attorneys Patented Dec. 10, 1935 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFIC RAIL SUPPORT Application July 2, 1934, Serial No. 733,400

14 Claims.

This invention relates to rail supports or braces, and is particularly concerned with a new and improved supporting and bracing structure or assembly for guard rails which is highly efficient in its supporting and bracing function, is capable of effectively withstanding the tremendous stresses and thrusts to which it is subjected in use, and which at the same time may be economically manufactured and readily applied and adjusted to the rails.

In the drawings accompanying and forming a part of the present invention,

Figure 1 is an end view partly in section of one form of device embodying the invention;

Figure 2 is a top plan view of the device of Figure 1;

Figure 3 is a detail top plan view of the base or tie plate and chair of the device of Figures 1 and 2;

Figure 4 is a perspective of the chair; and,

Figure 5 is a sectional view taken on the line 5-5 of Figure 3.

The device shownin the accompanying drawings consists essentially of a tie plate 'I,.a chair 2, a brace 3, and means such as the bolt 4 and nut 5 for securing the brace to the chair.

The tieplate I may be formed of any suitable metal, such for example as rolled steel. It is adapted to be secured to the top of a tie (not shown) "by spikes (not shown) driven through holes 6 into the tie. The bottom surface of the tie plate I is substantially plain while the top surface -is provided with a transverse shoulder I against which the flange of a main rail 8 may abut while resting on the plate. The plate I is also provided with a plurality of holes 9 and II] at one side of the main rail supporting surface.

The chair 2 may be made of any suitable material, such for example as cast steel. It consists of a body portion I I and a raised abutment portion I2. Both portions have a substantially fiat plain bottom surface to rest on the top surface of the plate I, the body portion I I having a projection I3 shaped to extend into the opening 9 of the plate I, While the abutment portion I2 has two similar'projections I4 shaped to project into the openings II) of the plate I. The chair 2 issecured to plate I by welding the projections I3*and I I to'the walls of their respective openings in plate I. This welding may'suitably be accomplished by the metal are method and is preferably socarried out that the weld metal is welded to the projections'and the-walls of the recesses into which they project, and the recesses are substantially filled with weldmetal. If desired,

weld metal may be welded to the sides of chair 2 and the top of plate I as indicated at I5 on Figure 3. Chair 2 is provided at the end remote from the abutment portion I2 with an undercut or hooked flange I6 and a plain surface adjacent 5 thereto, on which a guard rail I! may rest with the flange projecting under the overhanging flange I6. The end of body portion II is cut away as at I8 to overlap one flange of the main rail 8.

The abutment portion I2 of chair 2 consists of three upright walls I9 and a top wall 20 cut away, as at 2|, to receive the shank of bolt 4.

The brace 3 which may be made of any suitable metal, such for example as forged steel seats 15 on the top of abutment portion I2 and has a shoulder 22 to abut against the side thereof adjacent to the rails. The brace 3 has an arm 23 which extends to and engages with the web of the guard rail I'I adjacent to the head of the 20 lattenas at 24, and is cut away as at 25 to overlap the adjacent flange of guard rail I1.

The above described device may be assembled as follows:The chair may be'united to plate I by welding, as aforesaid, and then the plate may 25 be attached to a tie followed by placing of the rails 8 and IT in position as shown in Figure 1. Then the brace 3 may be placed on the abutment by being slid parallel to the rail I I until the open ended slots 2| of the abutment I2 and the correspending slot in the brace 3 are brought into vertical alignment whereupon the bolt may he slipped into place and the nut 5 tightened down.

It will be noted that the foregoing device is exceptionally resistant to strains imposed on it by the flange of a car wheel engaging against rail II. Tilting of the rail H in either direction is resisted by the overhanging flange I6 and the cut away portion 24 of the brace 3. Moreover, the major thrust against the rail I1 is in approximately the line A-B of Figure 2 and is absorbed or resisted by the brace 3 and transmitted therefrom to the abutment portion I2. The arm 23 of brace 3'is approximately in the line of thrust and takes the rail thrust endwise. It transmits such thrust to the top and adjacent side of the raised abutment. Since the stress is distributed to the abutment I2 in this manner, there is little or no tendency for the threads of bolt 4 to be stripped or for the bolt to be elongated. Any tendency of the chair'2 to overturn is overcome by the exceptionally strong attachment of the chair to the base-plateas-by welding as described and by the plate which-receives the weight of the car wheel and main rail.

. Having thus described myinvention so that those skilled in the art may be able to practice the same, I have defined my invention in what is claimed.

What is claimed is:

1. A rail bracing device comprising a tie plate to extend transversely beneath and engage a main rail thereon and having an upstanding rib to engage one flange of a main rail, a chair se cured to the tie plate to extend transversely beneath and engage a guard rail thereon and having a portion to abut against and overlie the other flange of the main rail, said chair being provided with a raised abutment at one end, the top surface of which is above the surface on which the guard rail rests and a brace member bearing against and secured to the abutment, said brace having a portion engageable with the guard rail to resist thrusts of the car wheel against the guard rail.

2. A rail bracing device comprising a tie plate to extend transversely beneath and engage a main rail thereon, a chair secured to the tie plate to extend transversely beneath and engage a guard rail thereon, said chair being provided with a raised abutment at one end and a flanged hook at the other end to overlap a flange of the guard rail, the top of the chair being partly cut away between the abutment and the portion on which the guard rests to provide an enlarged vertical surface on the abutment opposed to the guard rail and a brace member extending into the cut away space in the chair and bearing against and secured to the abutment, said brace having q a portion engageable with the guard rail to resist thrusts of the car wheel against the guard rail.

3. A rail bracing device comprising a tie plate to extend transversely beneath and engage a main rail thereon, a chair secured to the tie plate to extend transversely beneath and engage a guard rail thereon, said chair being provided with a portion on which the guard rail rests, a raised abutment at one end having a top surface above the surface on which the guard rail rests and a side surface opposed to the guard rail and extending from the top surface to below said guard rail carrying surface, and a brace bearing against the top and one side of and secured to the abutment, said brace having a portion engageable with the guard rail to resist thrusts of the car wheel against the guard rail.

4. A rail bracing device comprising a tie plate to extend transversely beneath and engage a main rail thereon, a chair welded to the tie plate and extending transversely beneath and engaging a guard rail thereon, said chair being provided with a raised abutment at one end having a horizontal top surface and a vertical side surface opposed to the guard rail and intersecting with the horizontal surface on the projected line of thrust of a car wheel against the guard rail, said chair having a flanged hook at the other end to overlap a flange of the main rail, and a flange of a guard rail and a brace bearing against the top and one side of and secured to the abutment, said'brace having an arm extending from the abutment to the guard rail substantially along the projected line of thrust of a car wheel against the guard rail.

5. A rail bracing device comprising a tie plate having a top surface portion to receive a main rail and having holes extending therethrough at one side of the said rail receiving surface, a chair resting on the tie plate and having projections extending into the said holes and welded to the walls of the latter, a brace member having a raised abutment portion and a guard rail carrying portion provided with an integral flange to overlap one flange of the guard rail, and a brace 5 overlapping the other flange of the guard rail and extending from the guard rail to the abutment of the chair along the approximate line of thrust, the brace being removably secured to the abutment, said raised abutment having a horizontal top surface and a vertical side surface opposedto the guard rail and extending below the bottom of the rail, said surface engaging the brace.

6. A rail brace device comprising an elongated tie plate, a shorter chair on the plate, and a rail brace engaging the chair, the chair having at one end a portion to engage the bottom surface of a guard rail, a thicker abutment portion at the other end to engage the brace and a thinner connecting portion to receive part of the brace below the bottom of the guard rail, the chair being welded to the plate beneath the guard rail, the brace engaging vertical and horizontal surfaces of the abutment portion on opposite sides of the projected line of thrust of a car wheel against the brace.

7. A rail bracing device comprising an elongated tie plate, a shorter chair secured on the plate, and a rail brace detachably secured to the chair, said chair having an intermediate thin portion,a thicker portion at one end thereof provided with a flat surface to engage the bottom surface of a guard rail, and a still thicker abutment portion at the other end of the thin portion having flat vertical and horizontal intersecting surfaces, the brace extending generally along the projected line of thrust of a car wheel against a guard rail on the chair and engaging the said surfaces of the abutment portion on opposite sides of said projected line of thrust.

8. A rail bracing device comprising an elongated tie plate to extend beneath a main rail and a guard rail, a chair having a flat surface resting on the plate and having a thick abutment portion at one end, a thinner guard rail portion at the other end and a still thinner portion connecting said portions, a generally V- shaped brace engageable at one end with a guard rail head and at its forked end with vertical and horizontal surfaces of the abutment portion, the brace extending along the projected line of thrust of a car wheel against the guard rail, and means for detachably securing the brace to the abutment portion of the chair. 5

9. A rail bracing device comprising an elongated tie plate having a transverse rib to engage one flange of a main rail on the plate, a chair secured on the plate, said chair having a guard rail seating portion, a raised abutment portion and a recessed portion connecting said portions, the guard rail seating portion being disposed in close proximity to and having a portion to overlie the other flange of the main rail and the adjacent flange of a guard rail, the abutment c5 portion having a vertical surface opposed to the guard rail and intersecting with the, top horizontal surface thereof, a brace overlying the other guard rail flange and engageable with the guard rail head, said brace having right angular surfaces to contact with the said vertical and top surfaces of the abutment portion of said chair, the said surfaces of the brace and abutment portion respectively intersecting on the projection of the line of thrust of a car wheel against the guard rail, weld metal joining the recessed portion of the chair to the plate, and means removably securing the brace and chair in assembled position.

10. A rail brace device comprising an elongated tie plate, a shorter chair on the plate, and a rail brace engaging the chair, the chair having a flat bottom surface to rest on the plate and. having a thin intermediate portion, a thicker portion at one end to engage the bottom surface of a guard rail and a still thicker abutment portion at the other end to engage the brace, the abutment portion having vertical and horizontal surfaces disposed on opposite sides of the projected line of thrust of a car wheel against the brace, and weld metal uniting the chair to the plate along the sides of the thin portion of the chair.

11. A rail brace device comprising an elongated tie plate, a shorter chair on the plate having a surface to engage a guard rail, a rail brace to engage the guard rail and engaging the chair on opposite sides of the projected line of thrust of a car wheel against the guard rail, the engagernent of the brace and chair on the upper side of said line of thrust lying in a plane substantially parallel to but above the guard rail engaging surface of the chair, weld metal uniting the chair to the plate, and means detachably securing the brace in assembled relation with the chair.

12. A rail bracing device comprising a tie plate to extend transversely beneath and engage a main rail thereon, said plate having an opening therethru adjacent to the main rail-engaging surface, a chair on the plate and having a projection extending into said opening in the plate, weld metal uniting the projection to the Walls of the opening, said chair being provided with a portion on which the guard rail rests, a raised abutment at one end having a top surface above the surface on which the guard rail rests and a side surface opposed to the guard rail and extending from the top to below said guard rail carrying surface, and

a brace bearing against the top and one side of and secured to the abutment, said brace having a portion engageable with the guard rail to re- 5 sist thrusts of the car wheel against the guard rail.

13. A rail brace device comprising an elongated tie plate having a rail-engaging surface and an opening therethru adjacent to said surface, a shorter chair on the plate having a projection extending into said opening, Weld metal uniting the projection to the Walls of the opening, the chair having a surface to engage a guard rail, a rail brace to engage a guard rail and engaging the chair on opposite sides of the projected line of thrust of a car wheel against the guard rail, the engagement of the brace and chair on the upper side of said line of thrust lying in a plane substantially parallel to but above the guard rail engaging surface of the chair, and means detachably securing the brace in assembled relation with the chair.

14. A rail brace device comprising an elongated tie plate having an opening therethru, a shorter chair on the plate having a surface to engage a guard rail and having a projection beneath the guard rail-engaging surface extending into said opening in the plate, weld metal uniting the proiection to the walls of the opening, a rail brace to engage the guard rail and to engage the chair on opposite sides of the projected line of thrust of a car wheel against the guard rail, the engagement of the brace and chair on the upper side of said line of thrust lying in a plane substantially parallel to but above the guard rail-engaging surface of the chair, and means detachably securing the brace in assembled relation with the chair.

WILLIAM T. ONEILL. 

